DAYTON SPEEDWAY HISTORY

I was at the library tonight, and saw that NORTHERN KENTUCKY HISTORY AND HERITAGE magazine(who would have thought that there was even such a mag) and saw a Sprint Car on the cover, anybody that knows me knows that they are near and dear to my heart, anyway I wanted to check it out and they said they could'nt because it was a periodical. Anyway the car had BECK ENT. painted on the hood, I did a quick internet search and found it on here, and well I am just gonna post the home site up for any of you who might remember going to this place (like myself ). Kinda of a cool read down memory lane.. Lots of cool 60's sprint car pics, and STOCK CAR PIC's when they where truly STOCK BODIED CARS.. READ UP STUDENTS there will be a pop quiz on wednesday...lol not really, Ryan..
http://wthompson4.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx

So LRS30, did ya ever go to the Dayton 500 or are ya a bit too young?

i WAS BORN IN 69,I will be the big 4-1 12/02 one in 79, dad swore up and down that he would never take the family to another, and he did'nt...lol Me being 10/11, and my brother 4/5 and my mom being well the way she is, you get the drift...I guess we where shitty kids, we made every U.S. NATS from 71 till my brother was born in 74, then I pic up the pace in 92, till 95, the every other year since.. ELDORA mad alot of the late model races, and 2 kings royal races. L-burg and Florence, should pay me royalties for showing up...lol

Man, I keep forgeting you guys are young pups or I just don’t realize how many years have gone by. My dad used to take the family to the dirt track races about every week or at least that’s how I remember it. His brother was in on a racer back then and my Grandmother’s cousin was sort of a big name local racer back then. We went to New Bremen (at that time the fastest dirt half mile in the world), Eldora, Allentown (now Limaland), Landeck, Winchester and the Speedway every May. That’s back when all the big name Indy drivers would show up to race sprinters at New Bremen a couple of times a summer. When I first started going they raced old coupes and where just starting to race completely home fabricated cars. Back then almost every gas station, garage, and body shop had some sort of a race car. I was over to the Speedway before I was in grade school. I got to see Bill Vukovich., Jack McGraph, Eddie Sachs……..saw Jim Hurtubise break 150 MPH and they said it was impossible to go any faster. I got to see and hear the old Novi roadsters run. This was at the Speedway when they still had the old Pagoda.

I wasn’t introduced to drag racing until the about ’61 or ’62. That opened up a whole new chapter. I went to my first Nationals in ’65 and haven’t missed one since. The first year I went the fuel cars were still smoking the tires the whole length of the ¼ mile. I’m glad I got to see that at least one year, it was awesome. That was long before Funny Cars and most of the stuff they race today. My wife and I used to go to 4 or 5 National events a year back when they only had about 8 in a season. We raced a dirt car one summer at Eldora, a road race car one summer back when Bruce McLaren was racing Can Am, and seriously ran a 66 Corvette in G/Gas one summer. That’s why I never held a serious job or career until I was on the far side of 30. We were too busy screwing off in my Dad’s opinion but sure had fun.

Next year I’d like to spend more time at race tracks and less at some of the car events if I can afford it. I’d like to come down and watch them kick some dirt some of the car events if I can afford it. I’d like to come down and watch them kick some dirt in our neck of the woods. I’d also like to take Madonna to a NASCAR Truck race. We’ve watched about all of them on the tube this last summer. Also, last summer at the Rebel Run up in Lima after watching the vintage sprints and midgets we meet some old fellow that had raced against my Grandmother’s cousin back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. He’s since sent Madonna pictures and copies of news clippings so now she has a renewed interest in seeing some dirt racing. That’s kinda cool.

Doug (and all of you fellas!) should come hang out with us at Eldora sometime. We are there a lot and always have a blast. Jerry's dad still owns a stock car, and builds a lot of race engines for the guys up there. Love watching the modifieds & late models. It's a hoot!